Automatic regulator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H. TRACY. AUTOMATIC REGULATOR. No.596,1191. Patented Deo. 28,1897.

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Inventor Witnesses Q 4\.\\\\\\ \\\\\\\k .AEM MN 5w vv v A www AttorneyHAYDEN H. TRACY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,191, dated December28, 1897. Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616,914. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concer-m Be it known that I, HAYDEN I-I. TRACY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county ofSan Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Regulators, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to self-acting regulators to operate the dampers ofsteam-furnaces, the throttle-valves of steam-engines, and like caseswhere adjustment is made by the variations of Huid-pressure acting on apiston.

My improvements consist in the construction and arrangement of thevarious parts and the method of their operations, as will be fullypointed out in the speciiication to follow, the drawings therewith, andin the claim at the end of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a vertical section through one ofmy improved regulators. Fig. II is an enlarged central section in thesame plane through the main operating parts thereof. Fig. III isasection on the line :c in Fig. I. Fig. IV is a front elevation of theapparatus complete. FigVis a view on top of the actuating-cylinder.FigVI illustrates the method of connecting my improved regulator to thethrottle-valve of a fan blowing-engine, such as is commonly employed tocreate draft in steam-furnaces.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The main parts of the device consist of a base or supporting-bracket 1,adapted to be fastened to awall or post, a chamber 2, bolted to the topof the bracket l, and a strong nipple 3that is screwed into the chamber2, as seen in Fig. I. To the top of this nipple 3 is attached thecylinder 4, containing a piston 5 and piston-rod 6, the latter being bypreference made hollow and bearing centrally against a conical pin 52 inthe head 16 of the tube 17, and thereby connecting to a rope, rod, orwire 7, which extends to the damper, valve, or other controlling deviceto be adj usted.

The upward movement of the piston 5 by force of Huid-pressure performsadjustment one way, raising at the same time a weight which acts bygravity to perform adjustment the other way, or the return stroke, aswill be hereinafter explained.

Through the axis of the nipple 3 is a passage 8, leading from thechamber 9 to the chamber 10 beneath the piston 5. This passage 8 isclosed by a iiexible diaphragm ll pressing against a seat 12, thusacting as a valve. v

Beneath the diaphragm 11 is a strong coilspring 13, resting on disk 14,that presses upward against the diaphragm l1. The pressure of thisspring 13 is regulated by the screw l5, that is operated externally, asseen in Figs. I and IV.

Referring to Fig. I, the piston-rod 6 bears against the head 16 of theshell or tube 17, to which is fastened permanently the annular Weight18, on top of which can be added other loose Weights 19 as the force ofthe downward stroke may demand. Inside of this shell or tube 17 is asecond tube 20, also screwed to the nipple 3 at 22 and acting as a guidefor the tube 17 and maintaining alinement of the various reciprocatingparts. Over the exterior of the weights is placed a cylindrical cover21, that rests on the head 16 and thus moves with the weights 18 I9.

I will now proceed to describe the regulator as applied to operating adamper of a steamfurnace, a common application of such apparatus.

The bracket or main frame 1 being attached to a wall or post, a pipe 23is connected with the steam-boiler, so the passage 24 and the chamber 9will be lled with water at the boiler-pressure and exert a downwardpressure on the diaphragm 1l, tending to open the passage 8. Thispressure downward on the diaphragm 11 is resisted by the coil-sprin g13, adjusted by the screw l5, so as to produce an equilibrium and keepthe passage 8 closed at some predetermined pressure, the piston 5 beingat the bottom and the damper held open by the rod or rope 7. Now if thepressure in the boiler and in the chamber 9 is increased the diaphragm11 is depressed, opening the passage 8 to the piston 5, which is forcedupward, raising the weights 18 19, permitting the damper by movement ofthe rod or rope 7 to close. This explains the movement of the piston 5in one direction.

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' the wasteway 4:0 to the pipe 46.

The downward or closing movement will now be explained. Leading from thepassage S to the chamber 25 beneath the valve 2G is a passage 27. Thevalve 2G is mounted on a rod 2S, that extends upward and is attached at41 to the shell 29, that slides loosely on the cylinder i. ln the top ofthis shell 29 is a perforated disk 30, and in the upper end of thecylinder 4- is another perforated disk 31, and between these anadjustable coil-spring 32, that tends to raise the shell 29 and at thesame time holds the valve 26 shut. The piston-rod O passes freelythrough both these plugs 3l) 3l, but is reduced in diameter at the topfrom the line 33 upward, as seen in Fig. 2. At one side in the plug 31is a follower 34, pressed inward by a spring 35 and an adjustable screw3G, so this follower 34 will press against the larger portion of thepiston-rod (i, but not against the reduced portion above 33. Then thepiston 5 is rising, the valve 2G is held shut by the spring 32 until thelarger portion of the piston-rod (5 comes in contact with the follower3st. Then the frietional resistance of this follower is added to theforce of the spring 32, holding the valve 26 shut so long as the piston5 continues to rise. Then the pressure in the chamber 9 begins to fall,the diaphragm 11 will, by action of the spring 13, close the passage 8,and the piston 5 will begin to descend by reason of a small aperture orpassage 37 through the piston (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. Il) orby the piston fitting loosely, so a portion of the water in the chamber10 and beneath the piston can slowly escape into the chamber 3S abovethe piston. The relation between the force of the spring 32 and frictionof the follower 34 is regulated by the screws 49, (seen in Fig. V,) thatpass through the disk 30 and bear on the washer 50, so as to compressthe spring 32 and regulate its force accordingly. lVhen the piston-rod(i begins to descend by reason of this leak of water past or through itbeing pressed downward by the weights 1S 19, the friction of thefollower 3i overpowers the spring 32 and the shell 29 is drawn downward,opening the valve 2G, so the water contained in the chambers 10 25 andbeneath the piston 5 escapes freely up around the stem 23 and into thechamber 39 and down through the passage 47 into the chamber 4S and byAfter the valve 2G opens the piston 5 descends rapidly until the largerportion of the piston-rod 6 passes the follower 3i. The valve 2G closesby action of the springs 32, and from there on the movement is slow, oras the fluid beneath the pistou 5 can flow up through the passage 37.

The stroke of the piston 5 can be regulated by an adjustable collar 51,that can be moved up or down on the piston-rod 6 as the stroke of therope or rod 7 may require.

At the bottom of the spring 13 there is a moving shell 42, in which isfastened the screw-nut 43 and on the point of which is an see-,191

index-pointer Lift, moving over a scale 45, that shows how much thespring 13 is compressed by the screw l5, consequently the amount ofpressure above the diaphragm 1l or in a boiler or other vessel connectedto the regulator.

In the illustration shown in Fig. Vl the cord or rope 7 is passed overpulleys 4:7 and thence downward, where it is connected to a lever thatoperates a throttle-valve t9, which controls the admission of steam toan engine 50, which drives the blower or other device to be regulated,and thereby governs its speed of revolution and rate of work.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and its manner ofoperating, I claim- 1. In an automatic regulator, the combination of aflexible diaphragm, an adjustable spring bearing against the saiddiaphragm, a chamber on the opposite side of the said diaphragmsubjected to fluid-pressure, a nipple having an elastic seat normallypressing against said diaphragm within the said chamber, a passage Sthrough the said nipple and elastic seat communicating with a cylinder,a piston in the said cylinder capable of being acted on by thefluid-pressure within the said chamber, a connection from the saidpiston to the object to be regulated, a chamber 25 communicating withthe passage 8, a valve 26 in said chamber 25, a wasteway communicatingwith chamber 25 when the said valve 2G is opened, and operative meansbetween the said piston and the said valve 26 whereby the latter isopened upon the recession of the piston, substantially as specified.

2. In an automatic regulator, a Huid-pressure chamber, one side of whichis closed by an elastic diaphragm, an adjustable spring pressing againstthe opposite side of the said diaphragm, a pressure-cylindercommunicating with said fluid-pressure chamber, a piston and piston-rodwithin said cylinder connected to the object to be regulated, an elasticvalve-seat cooperating with said elastic diaphragm to control the saidcommunication between said pressure-chamber and said cylinder, awasteway, a valve 2G opening a passage to said wasteway from saidcylinder, and means between the said piston and the said valve 2Gwhereby the latter is opened on the recession of the former due torelaxation of fluid-pressure thereon, substantially as specilied.

In an automatic regulator, the combination of the fluid-pressurechamber, the cylinder, with piston therein, communicating with saidfluid-pressure chamber by passage 8, valve-seat at the entrance of saidpassage 8, flexible diaphragm controlling said entrance of said passage,a piston-rod connected to said piston, tapered at its top, a shell 29sliding loosely on the said cylinder, a valve and valve-stem connectedto said shell, a wasteway communicating with passage S bya passagecontrolled by said valve 26, and frictional means between said slidingshell and said tapered piston-rod, whereby on the recession IOO IIO

of the piston the Valve is caused to open the passage to the saidWasteway, substantially as specified.

4. In an automatio regulator, the combination of the flexible diaphragmforming one side of a duid-pressure chamber, the perforated nippleprovided With passages 8 and 27, and pressing against said diaphragm,spring 13 beneath said diaphragm, pressure-cylinder 4, containingpiston' 5, piston-rod 6, tube 17, Weight 18, sliding shell 29,perforated disk 80, in top of shell 29, perforated disk 31, in top ofcylinder 4, spring 32 between said disks, friction-follower 54,vValve-stern 28, attached to shell 29, valve 26, operatediby said shell,and Wasteway 40, substantially as speeied.

In testimony whereofA I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two Witnesses.

HAYDEN H. TRACY.

Witnesses:

K. LooKWooD NEVINs, I-I. SANDERsoN.

